tonight onon "world news," breaking news. we've now learned of at least 22 dead in the stifling heat gripping this nation. also tonight, abc news exclusive. the new warning sent out, potential terrorists on the inside. targeting america's power plants, gas lun, even nuclear facilitie facilities. the shark attack. a little girl attacked, in critical condition tonight. campaign headache. new questions tonight, and a new answer from republican star michele bachmann, about her migraines and medication. does it matter if you want to be president? broken promise. a worst might mare come true for retirees, stunned after being toto those promised pensions? time to give them back. and to borrow a phrase, what would you do? you want to hear what husbands

across this country told us today when we asked, would your wife do this? good evening. we begin this wednesday night with that breaking news. the dangerous heat wave has now turned deadly. there are reports tonight that at least 22 people have died in the heat. this is more than 200 million americans suffer, trapped under what meteorologists are calling a giant heat dome. three dozen statements already, and the system is spreading east. the scorching heat and humidity mang it feel like 120, 130 degrees. and with this deadly heat, there are real warning signs authorities want you to look out for. abc's matt gutman traveling with the system as it moves, reports in there from chicago tonight. matt, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, david. we are here in chicago, where, get this, the place where people

get some refuge from the heat on the sand here, it is 109, 110 degrees. on this, the hottest spot on the hottest day that this city has seen in over a decade. today, chicago is being called an urban heat island. the blazing sun and merciless humidity are cooking this city. >> it's serious out here. >> reporter: it was also torturous across half the country and dangerous. in chicago, the heat index of 110 degrees stirred memories of 1995, when a heat wave here killed over 700 people. in these conditions, the body even at rest can lose a quart of fluid an hour. and for every degree that a person's core temperature rises, the heart goes 15 beats faster per minute. that can cause serious cardiac stress. what body core temperature do you stop suiting? >> i believe around 103, 104. at that point, the body is

really starting to shut down. >> reporter: and your body literally begins to cook. >> if you don't get medical care, someone could die within a half hour. >> reporter: the first warning sign is when you stop southwesting. the others include headache, dizziness and nausea. so, we went around town to find out how much risk people were putting themselels at. 10 6. >> like i'm running a temperature. >> reporter: not much. 99 degrees. there are experiencing with these thermal blankets which funnel cool water over the body. david, every year, 300 to 400 americans die at heat every year. besides that heat blanket, doctors told us they use low tech ways to cool people down. ice packs in the air pits and of course, spritzers. people should use these things if they feel they are getting heat exhaustion. >> matt gutman leading us off

tonight. we're going to turn next to that terrifying shark attack. a little girl in critical condition tonight after being attacked in just a foot and a half of water. it happened on ocracoke island, a very popular spot along north carolina's outer banks. abc's steve osunsami reports in from north carolina. >> reporter: the young girl, swimming with her father in just a foot and a half of water was riding on a boogie board when the shark struck, seriously wounding her leg. >> the mother yelled t tt a child had been apparently bit by what appeared to be a shark. >> reporter: the 6-year-old suffered wounds to her calf and foot. they were severe enough that emergency personnel air lifted her to a trauma hospital nearly two hours away. she made it there alive. if authorities confirm this is a shark attack, it will be the 13th in the u.s. so far this year. none of them have been fatal, but in 2010, there were two deaths in 36 attacks. earlier this month, carolyn

cartwright's daughter was bitten by a shark on another beach in north carolina. >> her leg was just wide open and it was just -- a lot of wood. >> reporter: cassidy survived her encounter, which also happened in shallow water. an attack in water only a foot and a half deep seems unusual, but most attacks occur close to shore, where sharks like to feed. shark experts say it's inevitable. there will be attacks. so, what can you do to reduce the risk? swim in groups and avoid swimming or playing in the water during the early evening or nighttime. steve osunsami, abc news, surf city, north carolina. around we're going to turn to the brand new warning, a bulletin that's gone coast to coast, sent to some of the most crucial areas in the country. thousands of utilities, nuclear plants, being told they could be al qaeda targets. we have reported here on "world news" on intelligence indicatinn terrorists want to strike between now and the upcoming 9/11 anniversary. and brian ross breaks the story and the news warnings here

tonight. brian? >> reporter: good evening, david. documents found in osama bin laden's compound tell of this push of a major terrorist attack against the u.s. to mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks this new intelligence gives added significance to all that. u.s. security analysts say sabotage by an insider at a major utility could provide al qaeda with its best opportunity for the kind of massive 9/11 anniversary attack osama bin laden was planning. >> the only way you can actually kill the large scale number of americans that he literally was calculating was through the use of these, this critical inf infrastructure. >> reporter: a new report from the department of homeland security issued just tuesday called insider threat to utilities, warns, violent extremists have, in fact, on stained inside positions. >> there are facilities where someone can get a job on the inside. get access to a control room. flip a switch, which causese an

electric power grid to short circuit, causes a pipeline to explode. >> reporter: the u.s. was stunned last year in yemen after the arrest of an alleged american recruit to al qaeda, sharif mobley, of new jersey, who, it turned out, had been employed at five different u.s. nuclear power plants in and around pennsylvania. able to pass federal background checks. >> if someone were determined and had the right access, the amount of damama they could inflict could affect thousands of lives. >> reporter: the possible impact of insider san stage was made clear earlier this year in mesa, arizona, at a water treatment plant. >> i have basically taken the plant hostage. >> reporter: officials say a disgruntled night shift worker took over the control room and tried to create a giant methane gas explosion. there was no tie to al qaeda, and his alleged plot failed. but officials say how ease y someone could create mayhem.

>> so, brian, this note, this warning sent out, showing added concern? >> reporter: david, we know that al qaeda has already put o o the word in its online magazine called "inspire," this is it, looking for brothers who have, quote, specialized expertise or work ingainst five locations. homeland security locations they they know of no threat right now, but clearly officials are very much on guard as the 9/11 anniversary approaches. >> brian ross with us tonight, thank you. we're going to turn now to a rising star in the presidential race who tonight is hoping a doctor's note will put a new debate to rest. for two days now, republican michele bachmann has been asked about her migraines and medication. and here's the question. have they gotten in the way of her job before? would they get in the way if elected president? abc's jon karl has the doctor's not tonight and more on the controversy. jon? >> reporter: good evening, david. well, here is the doctor's note that michele bachmann has released today. it comes from the in-house doctor here in congress and it gives her a clean bill of health. the letter from the top doctor

in congress says bachmann has had extensive evaluations. your migraines occur frequently. when you do have one, you are able to control it well. the issue was first raised monday be the daily caller website, which quoted anonymous sources saying bachmann suffers from incapacitating headaches. today, she was still facing questions. >> we released a statement on the issue. and as commander in chief, i'm going to make sure that we get our fiscal house in order. >> reporter: bachmann acknowledges occasional migraines. her campaign points out her packed schedule hasn't been affected a bit. but today, tim pawlenty, the republican candidate most threatened by bachmann's rise, pounced on the report. >> going to be president of the united states, you have to be able to do the job every day all the time. there's no real time off in that job. >> reporter: the issue has touched off a furious debate, especially because migraines are more common among women. >> what's next in terms of what

kind effect your president? cramps? hot flashes? >> reporter: john mccain battled cancer. joe bide p had brain an yuchls and dick cheney already had three heart attacks when he ran. but they all had to answer questions. yesterday, brian ross was blocked by bachmann's staff when he asked if the headaches affected her job performance. >> can you answer that question for the american people? >> reporter: bachmann's friend steve king told abc news top line that she is fit enough for the job. >> i think if you would watch her public appearances and see how she performs in each one of them, there would be no clue of such a thing. >> and jon, it seems awfully early in a campaign to be asking about the medical history of a candidate. but these are the kinds of questions she'd have to answer anyway, would she not? >> reporter: no question. there is no law that requires this, but common practice for more than a generation has been

that presidential nominees from the major parties release extensive medical records going into their entire medical history. and certainly, bachmann gets further down the road, there will be more questions. i can tell you, i've been out there on the campaign trail with her and few candidates campaign as vigorously as she does. >> and few covering the campaign as closely as you. jon karl tonight, thank you. meantime, to the political fire storm playing out overseas tonight. britain's prime minister today, the latest to take a very public lashing as the scandal that's rocked billionaire rupert murdoch heightens. today, lawmakers sounded off about it and loudly. abc's jeffrey kofman is in london. >> reporter: the british, they are so polite. except when it comes to polit politics. >> the reply that he send -- >> reporter: that's david cameron, the british prime minister. >> you know -- >> reporter: today, facing 138

withering questions from the opposition. >> he just doesn't get it. >> reporter: no american president gets subjected to a verbal pounding like this. >> he should apologize for the catastrophic era of judgment he made. >> reporter: the issue? is cameron too close to murdoch? >> it shows my staff behaved entirely properly. >> reporter: they call this a debate. >> order! >> reporter: but to the speaker of the house, it is, well, childish. >> calm themselves, keep on an even keel. it's better for their health and for the house. >> reporter: this scandal may not seem like a big deal from afar, but it's left the prime minist minister. and a report that shows murdoch deliberately tries to this wart a criminal investigation to the illegal activities here. >> isn't it time that we sent this non-tax paying murdoch from

wednesday he came? >> reporter: the prime minister doesn't have to. murdoch boarded his private jet is afternoon to fly home to the u.s. no doubt happy to leave london and all the turbulence behind. jeffrey kofman, abc news, london. >> and questions tonight about where the controversy will go when he lands back here at home. and still ahead here on "world news" this wednesday night, broken promises this evening. an entire town gathered and told that those propgsed pensions, we can't afford. so, now what? and this comes as we look here for new solutions. this evening, the one thing you should ask your boss about tomorrow morning to keep your retirement dream alive. and then later here on "world news," what would you do? or betteret what would you wife do after that now famous right hook? we're on the streets of america tonight, and you won't believe what we heard from your husbands. oh, we call it

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center. and is now on the verge of breaking the most say credit covenant between a town and its retirees. at this meeting last night, the city's retired as well as active duty firefighters and police were asked to give up as much as half of their pensions, after years of contributing. it's being called the big ask. what are you going to do? >> go on welfare. what else? do like everybody else is doing. >> reporter: here's how the cuts would work. a police officer, firefighter who retired at age 55, after 30 years on the job, would have their pensions cut in half, from about $40,000 a year to just over $20,000. colonel joseph moran has served 27 years on the police force. after contributing 7% of his salary each month, he says he would rather risk his entire mentioiothan vote in favor of this offer. >> when you work and you provide a service for the city, that american dream is maybe a fantasy. >> reporter: and making matters

worse, years ago, the town, like many others, opted out of social security for its municipal workers, so, there are no other benefits for workers to fall back on now. the city says it simply can't afford the promises of the past, and if the retirees refuse this option, not only will central falls likely have to declare bankruptcy, but the entire pension system could be in danger. >> it looks a lot better than a beheading. >> reporter: with the economy sputtering and city budgets collapsing, broken promises could be coming to a town near you. linsey davis, abc news, central falls, rhode island. >> many wondering if this is a sign of things to come. so, when we come back tonight, the flip side. a solution for baby boomers across this country. one thing you can ask your boss tomorrow morning to keep your retirement dream alive. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection

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retire completely. >> reporter: you'll never retire? >> i'm a scientist. i have been all my life. >> reporter: grant is lucky. a ph.d in atmospheric science, he works for aerospace, one that's investing heavily in a new trend. bridge jobs. part time jobs that allow employees to ease into retirement. the company has realized, we don't want to lose -- >> we don't want to lose employees. >> reporter: and grant is continuing to use his, working 10 to 20 hours a week on projects or guiding colleagues. >> i want to stay active. >> reporter: in fact, 80% of boomers say when retirement day comes, they'll still be on the job. in some cases, because they want to be, in many cases, because they have to be. and experts say that bridge jobs can help with another issue. 73% of boomers claim social security before they're 65 and look at the math. if you're 62 years old, earning

$60,000 a year, you'd get 1, $126 a month. if you wait until you're 70, $2,123 a month. but waiting can be hard on the human psyche. >> if i say to you, would you like $1 today or $3 a year from now, most people say, i want the dollar today. >> reporter: bridge jobs may make that delayed gratification possible. grant, for one,pplauds the opportunity. >> i am very happy. i made the right decision to go ahead and stop the full-time work and move to this casual program. it's just a wonderful transition for me and i feel really good about it. >> reporter: and so experts say, really, one of the smartest moves you can make is talk to your boss about a bridge job. and, by the way, there are huge health benefits to continuing to work. we'll get into that tomorr, david. >> hopefully boomers across the country will start the conversation tomorrow. claire shipman, thank you. when we come back here, a different question.

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rupert murdoch's wife, of course, fending off that attacker. tonight, there's a facebook fan page. and as our bianna golodryga reports tonight, husbands all over are asking, honey, would you to that for me? >> reporter: who needs a body guard when your wife can do this? the shaving cream pie rocketing straight for billionaire rupert murdoch's head. his wife to the rescsc. the right hook seen around the world. chef was even faster than the police officer. you can see him running in on your right. jimmy kimmel with a different angle. the wife beating everyone, from the queen to spongebob to the ham-burglar. laughing aside, don't mess with her. 38 years his junior, his third wife is a former volleyball champ. >> look at that. just throws the guy. >> reporter: and today, across america, the inevitable would your wife do the same? >> she would take a pie for me

and not murdoch, i'm good with that. >> i think she should protect me. you know? >> reporter: are you offended? >> a little bit. >> reporter: if this was a kid or a pair of nice shoes, what do you think? >> well, you brought in the nice shoes. of course i would defend them. >> reporter: the wives who would have flocking to facebook by the thousands. wendi has a new fan club page, growing almost as fast as her right hook. bianna golodryga, abc news, new york. >> we'll let you debate this among yourselves. that is "world news" for tonight. we're always on at abcnews.com. don't forget to watch "nightline" later. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "gma." for diane and all of us here, good night.